One of the first people to contact Florian Wirtz by phone was Hansi Flick. The Germany coach said after talking to the four-time international: "Florian Wirtz is one of the biggest talents German football has produced in recent years. Therefore, we were all shocked when we heard about the torn cruciate," said the 57-year-old. "I've tried to comfort him. He is still young and he will come back at least as strong, I'm convinced of that. He will receive our full support."
The list of other teammates and former Leverkusen players as well as from Germany wishing Wirtz a speedy recovery is long. FC Köln head coach Steffen Baumgart said after the game: "Of course, I wish Florian Wirtz well. I hope he's soon back on his feet. It was a shock for all of us." At the same time, he had clear words for the fans who made derisive comments when the former FC Köln youth player was carried off the pitch. "That's out of order. There's nothing more to say about it."
Everybody at Bayer 04 is crossing their fingers: Come back stronger, Flo!
The Werkself continue their 2026/27 pre-season preparations with their third friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Wednesday 29 July (kick-off 15:00 CEST). Werkself-TV is broadcasting the match live and in full in a stream from 14:50 CEST...
Bayer 04 are back on the pitch. Following the first training sessions, the Werkself play the first pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18. The match against Oberliga club Sportfreunde Baumberg kicks off at 15:30 CEST in Monheim am Rhein. Fans unable to attend the match can watch head coach Carles Martínez’s first game in charge for free via a livestream at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app, as well as on Werkself.tv (exclusively for members). Just log on and watch the games live. All the other Werkself preseason friendlies leading up to the 2026/27 season will also be streamed live for free.
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Bayer 04 is redesigning the public catering at the BayArena and Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion for the start of the 2026/27 season. Together with new catering partner Aramark, processes will be developed and the service at the stadium will be improved in a targeted way.
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The German Football Association (DFB) has officially recognised Bayer 04 as a centre for the development of female talent for the 2026/27 season. The club was awarded that role on 1 January 2026, and this status has now been renewed.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have sold young defender Andrea Natali to AZ Alkmaar on permanent terms. The 18-year-old Italian was on loan at the Dutch club last season, where he mainly played for the reserve team in the second division.
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